In an exclusive interview led by Alexander Chetchikov, President of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce, three visionaries: Sergey Cheryomush, Founder of Airship Expeditions; Igor Pasternak, Founder & CEO of Aeros; and David Richman, Founder of Dom.World, share how Celestia is rewriting the definition of luxury in 2025 and beyond. Together, they explore how airships, curation, and alignment of values are creating not just new ways of travel, but entirely new dimensions of experience.
Alexander Chetchikov: Luxury is often associated with excess, but Celestia seems to pursue a quieter, more intentional kind of opulence. How do you characterize luxury in 2025?
Sergey Cheryomush, Founder of Airship Expeditions: Luxury today—and even more so in the near future—is silence from the constant “noise” of the outside world. Most of us live in a state of reaction: to endless news, to other people’s demands, to external agendas. What gets lost is time for ourselves, for what we truly love, and for what matters most. Real luxury is reclaiming that time and attention. It means turning back to self-love as the starting point of harmony—both within ourselves and with the world around us.
And for accomplished individuals, luxury also means building bonds with like-minded peers—people who inspire you not because of their status or resources, but because of who they are. Celestia is designed as a platform for these kinds of encounters and reconnections.
AC: Airships aren’t the obvious choice for modern travel. What inspired you to revive this format, and how does it cater to the kind of luxury experience today’s customers are seeking?
SC: That’s exactly why they are so compelling. In the 1930s, airships were icons of glamorous travel—floating palaces that crossed the Atlantic in style. And then, for nearly a century, they vanished. They remained symbols of freedom and wonder, but with serious limitations. Traditional airships relied on massive ground crews, external ballast, and behaved more like balloons than aircraft.
What changed everything for me was discovering that Aeros had reimagined the airship. Our partnership with Igor Pasternak and Aeros allows us to bring this dream back—this time as one of the safest, most elegant, and versatile forms of air travel.
Igor Pasternak, Founder & CEO of Aeros, Board Member of Airship Expeditions: Our breakthrough is variable buoyancy control. The Aeroscraft can manage its heaviness internally, which means it can take off and land vertically—no airports, no runways, no support infrastructure. It is a truly independent and mobile platform for travel.
This opens the door to a completely new kind of luxury. That’s where Neona comes in—our sky yacht, built for VVIP travelers. It combines the elegance expected of luxury travel with the freedom to reach extraordinary destinations. Today, luxury isn’t only fine service or materials. It’s also access—to remote landscapes, untouched views, and moments only a handful of people will ever experience. Imagine expedition air tours to the Amazon rainforest, the North Pole, or remote deserts—stunning, but unreachable with conventional transport.
Behind this is our larger model, the ML806, with a 6-ton payload capacity. It is expected to be operational in 2028, primarily for logistics and expedition support. Its existence proves how robust and scalable this technology is.
SC: And looking further ahead, we are already integrating Aeros’ ML866 with a 66-ton payload into Celestia’s vision. This model will power our transatlantic and round-the-world expeditions. Inside, Celestia will feature 13 luxury suites, panoramic lounges, media and dining salons, a retreat space for quiet reflection, and private areas for curated gatherings. Two full decks create a next-generation boutique hotel in the sky, hosted by a crew of 15, including curators, chefs, and dedicated staff.
AC: Celestia is built around curation—from guests to experiences. In your view, is the future of luxury less about access and more about alignment?
SC: Exactly. Traditional luxury has always been about access—to rare places, exclusive clubs, or exceptional things. But in 2025 and beyond, the real value for leaders and visionaries isn’t access—it’s alignment.
Celestia is founded on the idea that true luxury is being in the right company, surrounded by people who share your values and worldview. We design expeditions that cannot be mass-produced: unique routes, sacred sites, and transformative practices. Crafting them requires expertise possessed by only a handful of people in the world.
Every journey is curated to bring together not just participants, but a community of co-creators: scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, philosophers, and environmentalists. Their encounters onboard spark new ideas, friendships, and shared meaning. That’s why I say: the future of luxury is less about possession, and more about alignment—with people, ideas, and spaces that can transform your life.
AC: From Antarctica to Burning Man, your expeditions span extremes. What’s the common thread that ties all Celestia journeys together, beyond the destinations themselves?
SC: The common thread is the spirit of adventure. Celestia journeys combine the cinematic thrill of Indiana Jones, the expeditionary odyssey of Jacques Cousteau, and the imagination of Jules Verne. Each voyage pushes beyond the ordinary, opening worlds few have seen, with the elegance and depth that define a new century of exploration. Celestia is not just about where we go—it’s about the stories and meanings born along the way.
AC: Where do you see Celestia in 10 years? Is it a one-of-a-kind experience, or the beginning of a new category in luxury travel?
SC: Celestia is unique today—but unique projects are often the ones that open new eras. We are building it in three stages. The first is an immersive museum and series of events that introduce the world to this new mode of aerial adventure. Already, anyone can step into this experience through our partner Dom.World, where Celestia exists as a living metaverse presence.
David Richman, Founder of DOM World, Board Member of Airship Expeditions: Celestia is more than a futuristic airship. It’s a symbol of a new era of mobile spaces and travel. Together with Airship Expeditions and Aeros, we are creating its phygital presence inside DOM World—long before it takes to the skies. Visitors can already:
- Walk through a 3D interior and exterior of the ship
- Explore lounges, suites, and observation decks
- Interact with an AI guide telling the story of Celestia
- Watch 360° videos and VR content
- Join quests, shows, and gamified experiences
This isn’t a render. It’s a living, evolving experience of the project.
SC: The second stage is our first demonstration flights in Southern California. During the 2028 Olympics, VVIP guests will personally experience the 6-ton version of the airship. And 1.5 billion people worldwide will witness “Celestia: Into the Fifth Dimension,” a nighttime spectacle featuring the 360° LED airship and 1,000 synchronized drones.
The third stage is the launch of full-scale transatlantic and round-the-world expeditions. These journeys will transform not only the lives of participants but also the very definition of luxury travel itself.
Yes, for now, Celestia is a singular format. But it holds the potential to grow into a new category of conscious luxury travel—where science, culture, and transformation converge.
Let’s Journey Begin!
As the conversation draws to a close, one thing becomes clear: Celestia is more than an airship; it is a philosophy of travel, community, and discovery. With its blend of pioneering technology, curated encounters, and a vision of conscious luxury, Celestia stands poised to redefine what it means to journey in the 21st century. For those who seek more than movement from place to place, but rather transformation along the way, the sky is no longer the limit; it is the beginning.
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